


Touch-starved

by effervescentwolf



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), F/M, Fluff, Marichat, The teeny tiniest bit of angst, Touch-Starved Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, marichat cuddles, not romantic - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:34:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25429999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/effervescentwolf/pseuds/effervescentwolf
Summary: Ladybug always thought Chat leaned into her touch because he was in love with her. Marinette realizes that's not true.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 3
Kudos: 326





	Touch-starved

**Author's Note:**

> This is just something short and fluffy where Chat needs cuddles.

Chat was so obviously in love with her. One scratch behind his ears or ruffle of his hair was enough for him to lean into her touch. He liked being near her, always asking to hold her hand or hug her. Ladybug always rejected him, rolling her eyes. After all, it would be giving him false hope. Patrol today was no different than usual. He asked to hold her hand, flirting shamelessly. She rolled her eyes and ignored him. Before she left, he asked for a kiss, pouting his lips adorably. She laughed at his antics and said goodbye, leaping away.

Ladybug landed on her balcony and slipped through her trap door, detransforming. Tikki zoomed away to eat some cookies and Marinette sat on her bed, grabbing the abandoned yarn from earlier. She resumed sewing, humming to herself quietly. A soft knock interrupted her and she looked up at the trap door to see Chat’s green eyes and cheshire grin.

“I hope I’m not interrupting, purrrrincess,” he purred, easily jumping down.

“If I said you were, would you leave?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

“Mmm, no.” He grinned at her. She couldn’t help but laugh. He sat next to her, obviously pleased by her response. “Sewing.” He pointed to the needle in her hands.

“Wow, your conversation is especially engaging tonight,” Marinette said sarcastically. “What’s the problem? Cat got your tongue?” He flopped back onto her bed and laughed freely, stretching his arms out.

“Cat puns tonight, princess? It seems like I’ve made quite the impawct on you.”

“Pfft. Sure.” Marinette tossed him a ball of yarn, which bounced off his chest and rolled off the bed. He leapt after it, ending up with yarn tangled in his claws and trailing through his hair. He sat up and looked at her with fake betrayal.

“Are you trying to get rid of me?”

“Nope,” Marinette said unconvincingly and he ignored the yarn and jumped at her. She shrieked as he tackled her. She landed on her back in her bed with him laying on top of her. “You’re heavy,” she groaned, one hand on his chest trying to push him off.

“Wait,” he whispered, his hand wrapping around hers. His head was buried in the crook of her neck and though the fabric of her shirt muffled his word, she heard the longing and desperation in his voice. Marinette stopped pushing. She could feel the slight prick of his claws on her hand, his grip on her gentle. Her hand was still pressed to his chest, and she could feel his steady heartbeat through the leather suit. His soft hair brushed against her cheek.

“Can we just stay like this for a little longer?” Chat asked. His voice was incredibly vulnerable. Marinette paused for a second and then slowly pulled her hand out of his and instead wrapped her arm around him. He relaxed into her, his arms going around her. She gently ran her fingers through his hair and he purred.

It really was relaxing. She never really had a moment to stop thinking and doing. Her life was an endless cycle of running everywhere, attending school, doing homework, sewing, designing, drawing, patrol, taking care of akumas. Even when she was with Chat as Ladybug, she could never truly relax, always worried about identities and trying not to encourage Chat. She loved him as her partner, but sometimes it was exhausting to keep rebuffing him.

Marinette didn’t know how long they stayed like that. Finally, she cleared her throat. “Uh, Chat?” He made a sound. “As much as I would like to stay like this, you really are heavy.” He groaned, but pulled himself up. He looked sleepy. His hair was even messier than usual and he blinked his eyes blearily. She sat up as he yawned.

“Sorry,” he said softly, very unlike Chat in that moment. He sounded raw and slightly sad.

“You don’t need to apologize.”

“It’s just-” he hesitated. Marinette could tell he was struggling to hold himself back. “Ladybug doesn’t touch me that much, but I wish she did because when I’m a civilian-” he broke off, looking alarmed at his own outburst. “I don’t really get hugs and things,” he finished carefully, his ears drooping as he slumped over. “I know it shouldn’t be that big of a deal, but I-”

“Chat,” Marinette interrupted. She felt terrible. Chat didn’t talk about himself as a civilian that much, neither of them did, so she shouldn’t feel guilty, but she did. He was her kitty. She should have realized that him leaning into her touch meant more than she had thought. “If you need hugs, I’m always willing to give them.” He looked at her longingly.

“Are you sure?”

“I wouldn’t say it if I wasn’t.” Marinette patted the spot next to her. He obediently came and curled up, his back pressed against her leg. She gave him another ball of yarn to play with and started sewing again, occasionally ruffling his hair.

“Marinette?” he asked after a few minutes of comfortable silence.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.”


End file.
